Meltdown
by Serena-chan1
Summary: When Sportacus has a sugar meltdown, he always reaches for Stephanie first. (SportaSteph)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** In this story I imagine Stephanie to be 18 years old. I'm not specifically stating her age in the story however, because I know everyone has different opinions of how old they'd like her to be when she and Sportacus get together.

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing and make no profit from this story.

* * *

It was a beautiful day in LazyTown, and Stephanie, Trixie, and Ziggy were spending it in the garden. The carrots they'd planted were finally ready to be picked, and they were filling their baskets with the orange vegetables when Sportacus came along.

"Hey, what are you all up to?" he asked cheerfully.

"Just a bit of gardening," Trixie said. "The carrots are ready."

"Would you like one, Sportacus?" Ziggy offered.

"Sure," the hero grinned. "I never say no to sports candy."

Unfortunately, while they were talking no one noticed a pair of hands wearing dark purple gardening gloves reach out from behind one of planters and exchange Ziggy's basket of carrots for another. Ziggy offered up the new basket to the hero, and Sportacus took out a carrot. As soon as he took a bite, he collapsed.

"Sportacus!" Ziggy cried. "Stephanie, Trixie, get over here!"

"What happened?" asked Stephanie.

"I don't know! He just fell down!"

"Was he eating this, by any chance?" Trixie asked, pointing to the carrot on the ground that was now oozing out a sugary syrup. "I'll bet it's Robbie again."

"But I don't understand." Ziggy looked close to tears. "I held out my basket, and he took one at random. How did Robbie know which one he was going to eat?"

Stephanie went over to inspect Ziggy's basket. The carrots looked real enough. She took one out and hesitantly took a bite. A disgustingly sweet syrup instantly filled her mouth.

"I'll bet these are all candy," she said, grabbing her water bottle and trying to wash the nasty taste from her mouth.

"I'm running home to get some real sports candy," Trixie decided. "I don't trust anything in this garden anymore."

"Not if Robbie's been messing with it," Stephanie agreed, sitting down on the grass next to Sportacus. "Just hurry, alright?"

Stephanie and Ziggy watched Trixie race off to get what they needed to help their friend.

"Stephanie?" Ziggy asked thoughtfully. "How does Sportacus always know where you are?"

Stephanie looked up from where she was kneeling beside the prone hero. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he doesn't seem very aware of anything right now, but he always seems to be able to find you."

"What are you talking about?" Stephanie asked again. Sometimes Ziggy wasn't very clear when explaining things.

"Well, when he first fell down, and you were over there with Trixie, he reached out toward you. Then, after she left, you came over and sat on his other side, and he reached for you again. How did he know that you moved?"

"Ziggy, I think you're just imagining things," Stephanie said patiently.

"No, really!" Ziggy insisted. "If you don't believe me, then move to his other side. You'll see."

Sighing, Stephanie got to her feet and carefully maneuvered herself to Sportacus's other side. There was a brief moment where the hero's hands grasped at nothing before they turned and reached toward Stephanie once more. The pink-haired girl raised her eyebrows in surprise. The man's eyes hadn't even opened, so how _did_ he know where she was?

"See what I mean?" said Ziggy confidently. "He must find you comforting, the way I find my lollipop comforting when I'm feeling sick."

Stephanie made a face at the thought of eating candy when sick, before turning her attention back to her fallen friend. "Sportacus? Can you hear me?"

"Stephanie?" he mumbled blearily.

"That's right," she said, taking his hand. "I'm here."

At her words Sportacus seemed to relax, almost as if he knew everything was going to be okay. Feeling bold, Stephanie lifted his head off the ground and placed it in her lap. She let her fingers wander to the nape of his neck, playing with the hair sticking out from his hat. She remembered the way her mother used to run her fingers soothingly through her hair when she was sick. Hesitantly, she pushed his hat off and began stroking and petting his head, marveling at the thick brown curls he always had tucked away.

A soft, contented sigh fell from Sportacus's lips, and everything else seemed to fade away. She forgot that Ziggy was hovering nearby or that Trixie was supposed to be returning shortly with some sports candy. Her heart pounded in her chest, and a pleased flush colored her cheeks as the hero nuzzled his cheek against one of her legs.

"Well, isn't this cozy?" Trixie said loudly, causing them all to jump. She was leaning against a nearby tree, holding an apple and surveying the scene before her. "You sure you want to give him the apple now, Pinkie, or do you want to wait a bit?"

Stephanie blushed scarlet while Ziggy just looked confused.

"Of course she wants to give it to him now! Why would she want to wait?"

"Never mind, Ziggy," said Trixie, rolling her eyes. "I was just teasing anyway."

She tossed the apple to Stephanie who caught it with her free hand. Holding the apple to Sportacus's lips, Stephanie let out a relieved sigh as he took a bite, and his eyes shot open.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Robbie happened. Again," Stephanie told him.

She realized she was still stroking her hand through his hair and hastily stopped. When she did, Sportacus jumped to his feet, a faint blush dusting his own cheeks.

"It's been awhile since Robbie's used his candied sports candy trick," Trixie said, holding up the half-eaten carrot. "This is the first time it's been a vegetable, though. Before it was always apples."

"Sportacus, what are you going to do if Robbie can disguise sweets as any kind of sports candy?" Ziggy asked anxiously. "How will you know which ones are safe to eat?"

Sportacus frowned. "I guess I'll just have to make sure to only eat the sports candy from my airship. I know those are safe."

"You could eat the fruits and vegetables down here if you cut them open first to check that they're okay," Stephanie suggested.

"I think I'm going to have to have a talk with Robbie," Sportacus sighed. "This sort of trick is dangerous. If I ingested too much sugar, it could be even worse than a meltdown."

"What could be worse than a sugar meltdown?" Ziggy wondered.

"A sugar coma. I'd be completely knocked out. I wouldn't even be responsive enough to eat the sports candy to heal myself. Guys, if that should ever happen, I want you to call an ambulance, okay? They'll have to find a way to give me an injection of the nutrients I need from the sports candy to wake me up again."

"What if we just poured some apple juice down your throat?" Trixie asked.

Sportacus cocked his head to one side and thought a moment. "I'm not sure if that would work or not. Let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

"It won't," Stephanie insisted. "You just make sure to check out all your food before you eat it, and we'll all help by trying to keep an eye on Robbie."

"Yeah!" Ziggy agreed.

"You know," Trixie said thoughtfully. "We could always have Pixel set up some kind of motion detector outside the entrance to Robbie's place. It would let us know if he's out and causing trouble."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of monitoring him like that," the hero frowned. "Everyone should be able to move around LazyTown freely without being spied on."

"Everyone should be able to eat healthy food without it turning out to be candy, too," Stephanie said dryly.

Trixie clapped Stephanie on the shoulder. "Pinkie has a point."

"Well... Look, let me try talking to Robbie first, alright? If he doesn't agree to stop, then we can talk to Pixel."

* * *

Down in his home, Robbie thoughtfully watched the whole exchange through his periscope.

"A sugar coma, hmm?"

* * *

**A/N 2:** This is a two-shot. I'm not sure when part two will be up, though. I'm really busy in the coming weeks, and honest, the first part fought me a lot harder than I expected it to. I'll do my best though! (Please review! It helps me write, I swear!)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, apparently I lied - there will be more than two parts to this story. Life has gotten crazy, and it will be a week or two before I have the time to properly finish it. Anyway, here's part what I've got so far. Reviewers get sports candy! (Also, sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger, but it was the best stopping point I could find with what I already have written.)

* * *

It had been a week since Sportacus's sugar meltdown, and in that time the hero had been keeping a close eye out for Robbie. He still needed to talk to him and make sure he realized just how serious causing a meltdown could be, but during that time, the villain hadn't been seen leaving his home.

He'd also been thinking a lot about Stephanie ever since he'd woken up in her lap. It hadn't escaped his notice that she had grown into a beautiful young lady, and it _certainly_ hadn't escaped his notice that she wasn't a little girl anymore. Still, he'd resolved a long time ago to keep his distance, and let her live her own life.

However, he couldn't get the feel of her fingers in his hair out of his head. He'd been haunted every night by dreams of kissing her while she tangled her fingers through his hair. He longed to return the favor. Her own short pink locks looked so soft and shiny; his fingers itched to run through them.

He knew that now more than ever it was imperative to pull away, but every time he saw her his resolve crumbled. Something about her captivated him; pulling him toward her like a heat-seeking missile. Even as a child she'd enchanted him with her bright smile and her positive energy. He could never figure out why, but being near her gave him an incredible boost, almost like eating sports candy.

"Sportacus!"

He turned and found the object of his thoughts running toward him, a big grin on her face.

"There you are," Stephanie said. "I was just getting ready to send a letter to your ship. Trixie just got a new set of tennis equipment, and we're trying to organize a game. Stingy wants to play, too, so we've got an odd number. Do you want to come play with us? It would make the teams even."

"Of course." The words were out of his mouth before he even had a chance to think about it. Besides, he'd never been able to deny her anything.

Just as they were turning to make their way to the sports field, the sound of someone yelling for help met their ears.

"That's strange," Sportacus said, reaching down to tap on his crystal. "My crystal isn't reacting."

"It sounds like Ziggy," Stephanie said. "I think it's coming from this direction."

Together they sprinted toward the cries, and eventually they came upon an old abandoned house at the edge of town. It had an attached garage, the door of which was open. Ziggy was inside, screaming for help, his leg shackled to a bolt in the floor.

"Ziggy!" Stephanie cried as she and Sportacus raced into the garage. "Who did this to you?"

Sportacus reached for the cuff around the young man's ankle, and - His hand passed right through it. Bewildered, he reached out to touch Ziggy's shoulder, and again his hand passed through him as though he wasn't even there.

He had just enough time to share a look of confusion with Stephanie before the door to the garage slammed shut, plunging them into darkness. He heard Stephanie scream, and his crystal flared brightly as a sharp pain pierced his arm...

...and suddenly there was nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

Robbie laughed loudly, his glee echoing through his home, as the computer he'd built told him that the shot had been fired. Creating a hologram of one of the brats screaming for help had been a stroke of pure genius!

"I'll bet he didn't even stop to take a proper look at that garage," he said to himself. "He probably just charged in there like he always does!"

Now the reinforced metal door was shut fast. It was so heavy that no one except Sportacus would be able to lift it without using Robbie's remote control, and Sportacus certainly wouldn't be in any condition to do any heavy lifting... It had been easy to mount a pistol behind one of the walls. He'd rigged it so that when someone stepped into the trap a panel would slide back, and the gun would fire a syringe of a solution so sugary it was sure to send the man into a sugar coma. He'd even made sure to plant a camera equipped with night vision in one corner so he could watch the whole thing, even in the darkness of the windowless garage.

"Don't worry, Sportafreak," he said as he tapped a few buttons to call up the footage. "I won't leave you in there forever - just for a few days. When everyone notices you're missing, I'll force the mayor to sign a new law banishing you from LazyTown forever! He'll have to do it if they want to save you, and in the mean time, I can enjoy some peace and quiet."

He pressed 'play,' and let out a yelp at what he saw.

"What's that Pink Cheerleader doing there?! She's going to ruin everything!"

He watched as they were both trapped, and the gun fired. The hero went down almost instantly.

"Oh, this is perfect!" Robbie crowed. "She's trapped, too! That gives me even more leverage against the mayor. He'll never let anything happen to his precious niece."

Turning back to the computer screen, Robbie noticed Stephanie crying for help.

"Scream all you want," he said to her image. "No one will be able to hear you there." 

* * *

"Sportacus?" Stephanie screamed into the pitch blackness. "Sportacus, answer me!"

She rummaged frantically in the pink purse she had slung over her shoulder, trying to find her cell phone. As soon as her fingers closed around it, she brought it out and turned it on, flooding the space with a dim light. Her eyes were instantly drawn to her fallen friend. He was sprawled on the floor, flat on his back and unmoving.

"Sportacus!" She dropped to her knees beside him and shook him by the shoulders. When she received no response, she immediately checked for a pulse and found that it was slow but steady, just like his breathing.

"Please wake up," she whispered pleadingly. She could feel tears prickling at her eyes as she tapped his cheek gently with her fingers and still elicited no response.

Stephanie shook herself angrily. This was no time to cry! She began to carefully check Sportacus over for any injuries and came upon the syringe sticking into one of his arms. Pulling it out, she examined it in the light from her cellphone. It was nearly empty, but she saw that there was still a little bit of dark purple liquid inside.

She noticed that a small trickle of blood had run down the unconscious man's arm where the syringe was pulled out. Hastily, she grabbed a tissue from her purse, pressing it to the tiny wound and holding it there, waiting for the blood to clot.

While she did this she held her phone out and used its light to survey their surroundings. The garage was lined with metal, and the door looked heavy and immovable. The fake Ziggy was gone, and the only other thing in the room with them was a camera mounted in one corner near the ceiling. A chill went through her at the thought that this was all a trap and that whoever set it was watching them.

Stephanie dug a band-aid out of her purse for Sportacus's arm. She blushed slightly when she realized that the only ones she had left had pink hearts on them.

Sitting back on her heels, Stephanie checked her phone and discovered that she had no reception. The feeling of hopelessness was beginning to fill her chest, and she wasn't sure what else she could do. Sportacus was out cold from whatever had been in that syringe.

She made her way over to the metal door, pushing at it with all her might, but it wouldn't even budge. She doubted she'd ever be able to lift it, even if she ate some sports candy. Her only hope was that maybe if she screamed and pounded on the door, someone nearby would hear and go for help. Turning off her phone to conserve the battery, Stephanie stood in the darkness and pounded on the door as hard as she could, screaming for help at the top of her lungs.

* * *

A/N: Please, please, please review! It's great inspiration!


End file.
